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Can I eat pickles while pregnant?

Check Doola Scan's answer in the United States

Shop-bought jarred pickles and gherkins show No known issues in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, and raw fermented or fridge pickles show Check in all six. Health NZ asks pregnant people to avoid fermented foods and drinks, which may contain low levels of alcohol from the brewing process. For homemade pickles, the CDC says improperly canned, preserved or fermented homemade foods are a common source of botulism, and asks you to follow home-canning instructions carefully. The NHS asks for salty foods such as pickles to be eaten less often or in small amounts.

Checked against Doola Scan's pregnancy rules · Updated

  • Jarred pickles, gherkins and dill pickles from the shop

    No known issuesIn all six countries

  • Homemade pickles, canned in vinegar

    No known issuesIn all six countries

  • Fermented or fridge pickles, raw and unheated

    CheckIn all six countries
Doola Scan checking a plate
What each country says

Pickles while pregnant: what each country says.

Each country's own pregnancy guidance on pickles, with a link to it. Doola Scan uses your country's first.

  • Doola has no source from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Ireland on this yet; their answer comes from the other countries' guidance.

  • United States

    • Jarred pickles, gherkins and dill pickles from the shopNo known issues
    • Homemade pickles, canned in vinegarNo known issues
    • Fermented or fridge pickles, raw and unheatedCheck
    Washing vegetables before pickling
    • FDAAvoid unwashed fresh vegetables, including lettuce and salads.Source

  • United Kingdom

    • Jarred pickles, gherkins and dill pickles from the shopNo known issues
    • Homemade pickles, canned in vinegarNo known issues
    • Fermented or fridge pickles, raw and unheatedCheck
    Washing vegetables before pickling
    • NHSSoil on produce can carry bacteria and toxoplasma.Source

  • Canada

    • Jarred pickles, gherkins and dill pickles from the shopNo known issues
    • Homemade pickles, canned in vinegarNo known issues
    • Fermented or fridge pickles, raw and unheatedCheck
    Washing vegetables before pickling
    • Health CanadaRinse delicate produce under cool running water; scrub firm produce.Source

  • Australia

    • Jarred pickles, gherkins and dill pickles from the shopNo known issues
    • Homemade pickles, canned in vinegarNo known issues
    • Fermented or fridge pickles, raw and unheatedCheck
    Washing vegetables before pickling
    • Pregnancy, Birth and Baby (Australian Government Dept of Health)Wash fruit, vegetables and herbs to remove soil (toxoplasma).Source

  • New Zealand

    • Jarred pickles, gherkins and dill pickles from the shopNo known issues
    • Homemade pickles, canned in vinegarNo known issues
    • Fermented or fridge pickles, raw and unheatedCheck
    • Health NZFermented foods and drinks such as kombucha may contain alcohol and should be avoided (alcohol, not listeria).Source
    Washing vegetables before pickling
    • Health NZWash and dry all fresh fruit and vegetables well just before eating.Source

  • Ireland

    • Jarred pickles, gherkins and dill pickles from the shopNo known issues
    • Homemade pickles, canned in vinegarNo known issues
    • Fermented or fridge pickles, raw and unheatedCheck
    Washing vegetables before pickling
    • HSEWash all fruit, vegetables and pre-packed salads before eating.Source
What to check

Before you eat pickles.

  1. Can at home only with tested instructions

    The CDC asks you to follow home-canning instructions carefully, and to pay special attention to low-acid foods. It links to the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning. CDC

  2. Refrigerate the jar once it's open, and bin any that look wrong

    The CDC asks for canned or pickled foods to be refrigerated after the jar is opened. It says not to eat home-canned or shop-bought food if the food or its container shows signs of contamination: if in doubt, throw it out. CDC

  3. In New Zealand, skip raw fermented pickles

    Health NZ's pregnancy guide says fermented food and drinks, such as kombucha, may contain low levels of alcohol from the brewing process and should be avoided. Health NZ

  4. Keep pickles to small amounts

    The NHS asks you to eat salty foods, such as cured meats, cheese, olives and pickles, less often or in small amounts. It says adults should have no more than 6g of salt a day. NHS

Questions

About pickles
in pregnancy.

Doola Scan shows No known issues for homemade vinegar pickles. The CDC says improperly canned or preserved homemade foods are a common source of botulism, so follow home-canning instructions carefully, such as the USDA guide the CDC links to, and refrigerate the jar after opening.

Raw fermented or fridge pickles show Check in all six countries. Health NZ asks pregnant people to avoid fermented foods and drinks because they may contain low levels of alcohol.

None of these countries' pregnancy food lists names achar. Shop-bought jarred pickles show No known issues in Doola Scan, and the NHS asks for salty foods like pickles to be eaten less often or in small amounts. For homemade achar, the CDC asks for careful preserving steps and the jar in the fridge once opened.

None of these countries' pregnancy food lists names them. Shop-bought jarred pickles and gherkins show No known issues in Doola Scan; the NHS lists pickles among the salty foods to have less often.

The pregnancy food lists don't name shop-bought pickles. The salt is the thing the NHS mentions: no more than 6g a day for adults, with pickles among the salty foods to have in small amounts.

All six countries ask you to wash fresh vegetables before eating them in pregnancy, and the NHS says soil can carry bacteria and toxoplasma.

The guidance doesn't change by trimester. None of the six countries sets different advice on pickles from the first weeks to the last.

Yes. Take a photo of the label, the menu or the plate, and Doola Scan checks each ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance. Food scans are free, 3 a day.
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Point Doola at a plate, a menu or a label. It checks every ingredient against your country's pregnancy guidance and shows its sources. Food scans are free, 3 a day.

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Doola shows what official guidance says; it never diagnoses. No known issues means none of these countries' pregnancy guidance names it, not a promise that a food is safe.